It’s on the Tip of Your Nose

The tip of the nose is a sensitive point for a lot of people in our beauty-conscious age. And while it’s easy to exaggerate the issues a person might have with that most prominent of facial features, it’s also worth considering whether the concerns are valid and if tip rhinoplasty is a proper solution.

After the eyes, the tip of the nose is often the first facial feature to register with other people. If the nasal tip has a notable irregularity, or is oddly proportioned, it can be a distraction. You might feel that people aren’t looking into your eyes —their gazes are fixed on your nose.

The Foundation

Nasal tip architecture varies from person to person for more reasons than can be counted here. Type “nasal tip” into the search window of our website to get a sense of how much variation there is and how many different questions people raise about just that one small area of the face.

But assuming for now we’re not talking about an injury, genes play the biggest part in the tip’s shape and size —both of which can, and probably will, change over the course of a lifetime according to a person’s genetic inheritance.

Skin type, skin care, aging, and exposure to sun and the elements also figure into the equation. But the tip gets its core attributes from the lower lateral cartilage (LLC), left and right. These shaping and stabilizing elements begin at the base of the nose —beneath the strip of skin (known as the columella) between the nostrils —and extend forward to the tip.

From there, they branch left and right, situated above the nostrils and below the next set of cartilaginous tissues (known as the upper lateral cartilages) that connect to the nasal bone.

Rhinoplasty Types

Tip rhinoplasty may call for shaving down lower LLC to reduce the tip, or grafting cartilage on to LLC to create a tip with greater prominence and definition. Either way, it is one of the most complex of rhinoplasties because the LLC are, to begin with, rarely if ever perfectly symmetrical. Accordingly, there are several rhinoplasty maneuvers for modifying the tip.

The medical literature on each is extensive. As a specialist in rhinoplasty, Dr. Naderi is versed in these techniques and able to choose from among them to help create an attractive and natural-looking nose that complements the whole face.

Visit our photo gallery, where you’ll see pictures of our clients before and after rhinoplasty. To learn more about rhinoplasty and other cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures, please contact the Naderi Center at 703-481-0002 in Virginia or 301-222-2020 in Maryland for a consultation today.